Many functions of modern devices in automotive, consumer and industrial applications, such as converting electrical energy and driving an electric motor or an electric machine, rely on semiconductor devices. For example, Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs), Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) and diodes have been used for various applications including, but not limited to switches in power supplies and power converters.
Nonetheless, mechanical switches are occasionally still being used in the area of load management circuits. For example, a mechanical switch, such as a relay or a so-called circuit breaker, can be used for electrically connecting a load to a power supply, such as a battery or a grid port, and for disconnecting the load from the power supply. Sometimes, such a switch is also referred to as a “master switch” or a “main switch.”